Eduction head for air lifts



y 1949- J. A. PIERSOLI 2,470,639

EDUCTION HEAD FO R AIR LIFTS Filed March 20, 1946 B "iFIfi. 7

INVENTOR. f ir/v47 Fur/a504,

Patented May 17, 1949 nnncrroN HEAD FQR. AIR LIFTS John a. Piersol, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application March 20, 1946, Serial No. 655,734

(Cl. 183--l03) 9 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an eduction head particularly useful in low lift air lift systems.

One chief object of the present invention is to provide an eduction head suitable for such systems and one wherein the interior is of relatively non-clogging and non-accumulating type, wherein the interior may be readily viewed from an external point overhead the same, and one wherein the divider or separator device may be readily removed, etc., for head cleaning when necessary or desired.

Another chief object of this invention is to separate air and liquid at a definite point or elevation best suited to the overall hydraulic systern and in a more ehicient manner than devices now conventionally employed.

The chief feature of the present invention resides in the internal formation of the head chamher and the cantilever type of divider or separator.

Other objects and features of the invention will be set forth more fully hereinafter.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings Fig. l is a side elevation of one form of low lift air lift system with the eduction head embodying the invention included therein, other portions shown therein being the subject matter of a copending application Serial No. 649,532, filed February 23, 1.946, and entitled Low lift air lift, new Patent No. 2,427,157.

Fig. is a vertical central sectional view of the eduction head embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view thereof with divider removed as well as the cap.

Fig. 4 is a vertical central sectional view taken at right angles to Fig. 2 and with divider and cap removed.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2 and in the direction ofthe arrows.

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of the cantilever type divider.

Fig. 7 is a plan View thereof.

In Fig. l of the drawings there is illustrated a low lift air lift system, more fully disclosed and claimed in the application aforesaid. Herein it indicates a pressure wash water header, li a pressure air supply header, iii the lift tube terminating in the induction chamber 53 having its inlet at the lower end. Air and water lines, valve controlled, and including valve controlled blow offs are connected at opposite ends to the headers and inductionchamber. The lift tube terminates at its upper end in the eduction head 64, the subject matter of this application. The support for the lift system is intentionally omitted from Fig. 1 for clearness.

Reference will now be had to Figs. 2 to 'I wherein said head is illustrated in detail. Therein the head is illustrated as of generally heart shape, the casting being tongued as at is, see Fig. 5, and projecting inwardly to form the median longitudinal vane or baiile fin i5 tapering to an edge ill.

The bottom of the casting includes bore l8 which aligns with the lift tube. The vane portion near the upper end is relieved and the casting provided with a wedge sectioned vertical groove in way i8, see Fig. 4, open at the upper end providing a support or shoulder 29 at the lower end.

In alignment with the median plane including the vane and directed downwardly and outwardly is the gradually reducing discharge 2i, same being curved at 22, see Fig. 2, and terminating in Waste connecting flange 23.

By way of example only the lower portion of the casting may be tapped and threaded as at 24 and a threaded connector plate 25 bolted thereto as at 26. Lift tube 52 is threaded into the connector plate as at 21.

The deflector plate is shown most clearly in Figs. 2, 6 and 7. Therein 28 indicates a central circular disc portion from which depends a concavely curved coaxial cone 9. Extending upwardly from the disc portion is the cone til. Extending radially thereof is vane 3! which at its outer edge terminates in a socket 323 which is slidaoly seated upon projection or tongue ill in the casting. The fin projects below the divider plate an appreciable distance for divider support and for separation of the mixed air, liquid and refuse flow before it can rise above the divider plate and directs the latter two toward outlet 2!.

The vane 3| projects beyond the disc at and this bears on shoulder 29. The casting is bored at 34 and the grooved portion 32 of the vane 3! is bored and threaded at A handled bolt 36 having shank 31, head 38 and handle 39 is seated in bore 3t and screwed into bore 35 to rigidly secure in cantilever relation the deflector within the casting.

It will be noted deflector vane fl is in align ment with casting vane or fin The ascending stream of liquid is deflected outwardly by reason of portion 28. The stream, as "well a the rearwardly deflected portion thereof, is divided by fin it and turned toward discharge 2!. The upper cone 3!! sheds any liquid outwardly and vane 3! 3 also divides that liquid portion engaging said vane.

Herein the upper portion of the casting includes an air outlet 40 and about same there is provided internally of the casting an annularlike relief or channel portion 4| whereby such liquid as is directed outwardly and upwardly is again deflected inwardly and downwardly and prevented from discharging from outlet 40. Note also in Fig. 4 that opposite the channel 4| is a deeper and more pronounced channel 42 and same merges into portion I8 and is inclined thereto.

Detachably and preferably gravity seated on the casting is the air relief tube 43. Said tube is of any desired or required length. Herein the tube has substantially the same diameter as the intake I8. The lower end of this tube has integral therewith the downwardly and outwardly flared portion 44, which is defined by the collar 45 seated in the outlet 40 and the flange 46 bears upon the-casting.

As stated, this is the air discharge or relief tube; and the operator following cap removal, by looking down into the head, can observe the discharging action of that eduction head, and due tothe position of the deflector plate in cooperation with the channel portion 4| in the upper part of the casting, the head structure does not discharge upwardly through the air discharge tube and thus cover or soil the operator since only air escapes this point.

Whenever the operation of the air lift is observed to be ineflicient or improper, the air discharge tube unitmay be removed, and upon turningthe handle 39 and retracting the bolt 36' the deflector plate may be removed. This exposes the entire interior of the eduction head for cleaning purposes.

It will be observed furthermore that the dividing plate insures travel of theliquid as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 5. In this figure also it will be noted that the intake 18 has a certain diameter D and any radial section as shown by the dimensioning arrows with the dimension A is such that the dimension A is substantially that of the diameter Dso there is no constriction in the eduction head.

It will be furthermore observed, see Fig. 2, that the distance from the lowest point of the deflector to the lift tube outlet is substantially the same as the diameter D.

The result is that anything which passes up the lift tube will be discharged from the lift tube through the inlet to the' eduction head and then discharged outwardly with the liquid because the liquid discharge outlet at the flange 23 also has the diameter D.

The foregoingconstruction therefore provides for the thorough and efiicient separation of air and liquid in a manner that can be conveniently viewed for proper regulation. In other words, the operator can look into the eduction head and manipulate the air pressure valves in the air supply line or lines to'the as initially set forth herein;

From the preceding description-it will be noted that the channels are constructed of adequate size and proper shape so that all solids supplied to the head by the lift tube will pass through the head.

Furthermore, the bailie fin in the rear of the casting results in a division of the liquid, and these divided streams have a directional flow of what might be termed the scouringtype so thatinduction chamber the eduction head is of substantially self-cleaning character.

The deflector system, by being supported from the side wall and therefore being of cantilever type and having its mounting above the plane of separation by that plate, provides substantially no obstruction, abutment or the like upon which refuse such as strings, etc., can collect, and furthermore such cantilever mounting obviously does not interfere with the removal of the structure superposed thereabove so that an interior View of the discharge of air and liquid mixture can be had.

Furthermore the resulting construction obviously is readily dismantled for closer inspection and/or cleaning.

The drip lip effect provided by annular channel formation 4i, as previously specified, prevents the liquid from splashing out of the air tube and onto the operator. As shown in Figs. 2 and 5 the liquid discharge outlet is taken'oif from the head at an angle of 45 and taken oif at the lowest point of the head so that whatever is supplied to the head will be discharged there-' from, and furthermore, such 45 positioning facilitates discharge pipe connection theretosince 45 art.

Since the deflector plate is provided with curved surfaces of relatively large radii and positioned at the proper elevation, there results water deflection horizontally with low loss of head, and normally the deflected Water engages perpendicularly the interior adjacent wall of the sufiicient to overflow the lift tube extension I 8',

as it were, provided in the eduction head. Con sequently discharging water or liquid in the head cannot interfere with the discharge flow of air and liquid mixture supplied by the air lift tube to the inlet [3.

Obviously the deflector plat-e is similarly positioned as aforesaid with respect to the top of the air lift tube extension I8 so that what liquid impinges upon the upper face not drop back and interfere with air and liquid mixture discharge but will be diverted or deflected to the channels 42.

Corollary of the aforesaid is that the operator can at all times view the discharge of mixed air and water from close proximity thereto, which view is necessary for proper regulation, and without inconvenience from splashing, etc.

As previously pointed out, the slopes, curvatures, dimensions and general shape of the parts and the chamber are such that no dead spaces are provided or are present and thus the possibility of collection of refuse is substantially eliminated.

As noted in Fig. 2 the lip provided at the outlet 40 is positioned at a lower elevation than the j lower end of the air relief tube flared portion 44 so that liquid is prevented from passing upward between the portion 45 and the lip.

Furthermore, the structure herein shown will operate satisfactorily without the addition of the air discharge tube 43 and its associated parts under normal conditions, and obviously the tube 43 connections are standard in the pipe of the deflector will may be provided with fly screens whenever desired.

The foregoing construction also permits, in the manner previously described with reference to the detachable connection of the air lift tube [2 to the eduction head, of a longer air discharge tube whenever the eduction head is to be used in a multi-stage air lift system.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in great detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character.

The several modifications described herein as well as others which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, all are considered to be within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In an air lift system eduction head structure, having chamber forming means with substantially aligned opposite air and liquid mixture inlet and air outlet openings and a laterally discharging liquid discharge opening, the combination therewith of a dividing fin between the aligned openings and in the chamber opposite the lateral opening and directed toward the same, and drip lip forming means having its inner edge directed downwardly and defining the upper and air outlet opening.

2. In an air lift system eduction head structure having chamber forming means with substantially aligned opposite air and liquid mixture inlet and air outlet openings and a laterally dischargin liquid discharge opening, the combination therewith of a dividing fin-like deflector within the chamber and interposed between the aligned openings, and cantilever means for deflector support and supported by the chamber wall substantially opposite the discharge open- 3. Structure as defined by claim 2 wherein the upper and air outlet opening is defined by drip lip forming means having its inner edge directed downwardly.

4. Structure as defined by claim 2 wherein the deflector comprises a cone, the tip of which is substantially coincident with the axis of the air outlet opening and directed toward that open- 5. Structure as defined by claim 2 wherein the deflector comprises oppositely directed conical projections, the axes of which are aligned and substantially coincident with the axes of the opposite openings.

6. In an air lift system eduction head structure, the combination of chamber forming means with substantially aligned opposite air and liquid mixture inlet and air outlet openings and a laterally discharging liquid discharge opening, and a cantilever type, chamber wall supported, deflector within the chamber and interposed between the aligned openings, the chamber forming means and the deflector having complementary tongue and groove formations for deflector mountin in the chamber.

7. In an air lift system eduction head structure, the combination of chamber forming means with substantially aligned opposite air and liquid mixture inlet and air outlet openings and a laterally discharging liquid discharge opening, and a cantilever type, chamber wall supported, deflector within the chamber and interposed between the aligned openings, the chamber forming means and the deflector having complementary tongue and groove formations for deflector mountin in the chamber, and threaded means for securing the deflector and chamber forming means together and interiorly concealed thereby and having an exterior exposed portion for manipulation.

8. Structure as defined by claim 2 wherein the bottom of the chamber about the air and liquid inlet opening is of curved channel type in radial section, the channel being directed progressively downward from each side of the fin-like deflector to the liquid discharge opening.

9. An air lift system eduction head structure as defined by claim 2 wherein the chamber is substantially heart shaped and the liquid discharge opening is medianly positioned and at the tip and opposite the cantilever type deflector and spaced therefrom.

JOHN A. PIERSOL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

